Means for folding flat articles



Oct. 2, 1951 s. w. LISTER MEANS FOR FOLDING FLAT ARTIQLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1949 ggwmudl William m 1951 s. w. LISTER MEANS FOR FOLDING FLAT ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1949 FIGIZ William m FIGA Oct. 2, 1951 s. W.'L|STER MEANS FOR FOLDING FLAT ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10, 1949 lll'l FIG. 5

inmuzb wmlzm as, flwmgm Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR FOLDING FLAT ARTICLES Samuel William Lister, London, England Application February 10, 1949, Serial No. 75,690 In Great Britain February 10, 1948 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to articles.

It is particularly concerned with the automatic folding of flat articles which are delivered to a folding location one after the other in varying widths and/or lengths or at varying distances from a reference point, or both in varying widths and/or lengths and at varying distances from the reference point, so that the articles will all be folded in the same predetermined manner relative totheir width. An example of the type of work concerned is laundry fiat work, such as sheets, tablecloths, towels, handkerchiefs and so on, as delivered from an ironing machine. The articles delivered from this mchine may vary considerably in size and, due to the manner in which they are fed into the machine, they may be variously disposed in the direction of their width.

The main object of this invention is to provide improved and simple means for automatically folding flat articles of the character indicated.

According to the invention, means for folding fiat articles comprises a suitable shaped former over which the articles are fed by conveyor tapes or bands so that the parts of each article at opposite sides of the desired fold line are progressively turned about this lineto come together in face-to-face contact.

The flat articles after having been folded once by the aid of the means indicated above, may pass to a second folding means of the same character arranged to fold the articles along a line parallel with the fold first produced. Means is, with advantage, provided whereby the flat articles passing to the first folding means, or the folded articles passing to the second folding means, as the case may be, may be adjusted transversely of their path of travel relative to the respective folding means so that the fold to be produced by the aid of the latter may be formed at the desired location in the width of the article.

I From the firstfolding means, or from the second folding means when this is provided, the folded article may pass to an additional folding appliance of a known character adapted to fold the article again but in a direction at right angles to the earlier folds.

The nature of the invention will be clearly understood from the following description of an example of a machine which may be employed to carry the invention into practical effect, reference being made to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that these means for folding flat drawings are somewhat diagrammatic although they clearly indicate the construction and functioning of the folding means which constitutes the main'feature of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view taken from above and in the front of a machine embodying two folding means constructed in accordance with the invention, some parts being omitted or broken away,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the first folding means, part of one of the conveyor bands: thereof being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the first folding means,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, taken from the rear, of the first folding means, parts being omitted or broken away, and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the second folding means, taken from the front of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 1, the machine comprises a main endless conveyor, indicated generally by the reference A, composed of parallel tapes, strings or the like which extends horizontally from a fixed feeding location B to a fixed first folding location C. The feedinglocation B (as shown) may be the delivery end of a flat work ironer (or of the drying machine which generally follows such an ironer), the sheets, tablecloths and so on, indicated by the reference D and referred to herein simply as sheets, being fed in succession on to the main conveyor A in a somewhat haphazard fashion relative to the side edges of the conveyor but all with their leading edges disposed substantially at right angles to the length of the conveyor.

At the first folding location C is arranged folding means, including a folding former to be described, which receives the flat sheets from the main conveyor A, folds them about a longitudinal line and delivers them to a secondary conveyor E which, in turn, carries the once-folded sheets to a fixed second folding location F. Here the sheets are again folded about a longitudinal line and delivered on to a third conveyor G which may carry the twice-folded sheets over a transverse folder (not shown) of any suitable known type.

In order to simplify the description of the machine, it will be assumed that each longitudinal fold to be made is to come at the centre of the width of the sheet or folded sheet, as the case may be, although folds may be produced at other locations without difficulty as will become apparent from the following description.

The main conveyor A comprises a set of parallel tapes, strings or the like I extending between and passing around a pair of spaced parallel rollers 2 and 3, one of which is continuously driven (by means not illustrated) to cause the upper runs of the tapes to travel towards the folding location C. The rollers 2 and 3 are mounted at the respective ends of a carriage 4 which is mounted for translating motion, transversely of the direction of travel of the tapes I, by means of wheels 5 running on guide rail 6.

The displacement of the carriage 4 is effected by any suitable servomotor mechanism (not illustrated) which is controlled by means of a handwheel Fadapted to be actuatedappropriately by an operator stationed on the platform 8 provided on the carriage 4 near the front end there-.

of. This operator observes the sheets D as they travel along the conveyor A an'dx 'adjusts their position of the carriage 4 along the rails 6 1n such a sense as to ensure that the longitudinah centre line of each sheet will: be located in the same vertical plane as the centre; line ofthes" folding means at the location C before the sheet enters this means. positioning of the sheets travelling over the carriage is facilitated by the provision of I as gauge bar 9-"of' angle' section wh ich is supported-honzontally on a fixedposition close above the upper ruhs of the tapes l and carries-a central refer- 'ence' mark l ll indicating thecorrect position of the centre line of the sheet. At each side of the mark I I! the bar 9 carries a series of'graduations II, the areas between which are clearly -d i's'tin-' guished, by 'd-iife'rent colorations or the like; so that any two areas which are equally spaced friom ,"and omappropriate sides'of; the mark ID mayread-ily be'recognised as correspondingwith each other. The operator, therefore; merely has -to ':b'ring;theecarri'age to a position in which-the thesfoldingmeans now to be described:

The folding meansat the firstfolding "location: 0. embodies a fO1d 'fOImQI'" which. comprises a "form 1 2 of sheet metal or other material hav ingea lower rectilinear-edge- I3' disposed: parallel with and just below the level Of theupper' run of the main conveyor A but E spaced somewhat from-its delivery end. The gapbetween: the lower-edge I3of the form- IZ -and the conveyor'A is-Lpartly bridged bythe forwardly extending partsofthe conveyor bands 'yet to" be described and :theremainder of the-gap may be filled by a-.-suitable delivery chute or'guide plate-as has just been indicated. The form I2 is tetrahedral in .shape- (see Figs.-2,-3,- 4-and 5) with an upper edge I4 disposed parallel with the plane containinglthe upper'surfaceof the conveyor A- but'lo=- catedf'at right .angles to a-vertical plane 'containing -the lower edge I3 of the forms Rear'edges IEKFig. 2) of the form-join the ends of the lower edge I3-t0 therear end of theupperedge" I4; i. e; that endmore remote from theconveyor A, and front edges- I3 (Figs; 3 and 5) join the ends =01 the lower edge I3 -to.;the other'or front end of the upper edge I4.- The dimensions of the tetrahedron-are such that-the sum of the distance between any point on a rear edge I5 and the upper edge I4, measured parallel with: the corresponding front edge It; and'the distancebetween the. same point and-'-thelower edge I3, measured. parallel with theline joining the centre of the" lower edge I3 tothe rear end of the -upper edge '-l4, i -constant and equal. to the length of-the front edge I 6.

Parallel with, and one on" either side.- (ii-{the The. observation and "correct equal'in width: to halt thelengthlof thei'lower'edge upper edge M of the form I2 are two closely spaced small diameter guide rollers, I1 and I8, the roller I1 being located as close to the edge I4 as" is practicablesand the roller I8-. being located ata'slightly'higher levelysee Figs. 3 and 5. A larger diameter driven roller I9 is arranged parallel with but forwardly of the lower edge I3 of the-dormnlznrand-a smaller diameter guide roller 20 isspaced vertically beneath but parallel with the edge-law Two inclined guide bars 2| are dispos.edl.V-fashion. below the form I2 with their upperqends, closely adjacent and just rearward of the centre of length of the guide roller 20. Fromthese ends the bars diverge downwards and rearwards, as shown in: Figs. 1 and 5. Extending :forwardlyfronrinearsthez-lower 1 endiiof 'ieach inclined bar 2| is a lower guide roller 222ha'ving itseaxi's:parallltawithi :thesupperaedger. I14 of i the ion-n22 Parallelz'withibut' jns-tioutwardlyleach further :lowereguide': roller '2z3i'and vertically abovezeach of the rollerszzii isiarranged ant11ppenguidero-ller .24 having its axis-disposed parallel'z withy and: substantially in rth'e sameihbrie zontal iplaneaas,t'.theaupper.tedge IA of theziorma Two endless: conveyor bands :25 ".2 and :251seach I'3sofithe form" 'I 2 are; threade'daround the-driven roller I:9',- thezgu'iderollerswzfi, 222,123, Misandthe bars- 2 t, as shown inFigsnLand Be It will-.be'seen that; the inner edges rof .fihQSGFIDQLItSTOf theiban-ds 2 5;? lit r-mining overthefi rear:rfaceeofiztheiform travel; in contact with eaclr'iotherralongithezvere tical medialelineeof this facecwhi'le their-mater edges :travel along the front edges 1 6 .oitheaform. Eachconveyor band 25 or 26 passes awayjfrom the upper edge Id -of the form; overwt-heappropriate guide-roller I I or 1 8*cl'osely;ad:j acent to. this'eclg'e, tomoveaoutwards-to-the coresponding upper guide roller-2.4:: The-"band 25 (onlthe d'elivery'sidea travels downwards to. the corespondingrv'lo'wer roller 2-3 from which itpassestc the rollerfl Land thence around the -inclined guidebanZI to Wrap half the length of the upper-'part;=of .the: roller ZBTWh-lChF-iS parallel with the-loWeredge 13 of the form. Theother band 26:travels downwards from its upper roller 2 4 to the corresponding lower roller 23randthence-over the roller 22 and; the-coresponding inclined bar 2 I to wrap 'the other half 0fthe length of the upper partof-the roller 20; Bothchands, thenedge-to-edge, pass around the driven roller- I9" before passingover therearand side-faces of theformagain-.-v It should be noted that reach band 25 or- 26 is -twisted.- face-toface and edge-for-edge during 'each passage through the path justdefined;

A sheet-D delivered from themainconveyoriA toethe-uppersurface of the apron-like portionof the twobands 25, zfi extend-ing from the roller I9 to-the lower edge I3 of the form,-is;brought to the latter by themotion ofthe bands to be introduced into the-space between the form-and the bands A sufficient lead-in may be secured-byrounding V and 5. As the feeding of the sheet is continued by the endless bands 25, 26, the folding of the sheet progresses and the folded end falls on to the band 25 at the delivery side, due to the slight staggering of the rollers l7 and I8 relative to the upper edge of the form, to be conveyed by the band 25 to the discharge point constituted by the return of the band around the appropriate upper guide roller 24.

The discharge point is located closely adjacent to one return roller of the endless conveyor E, running in the same general direction, which receives the folded sheet from the delivery band 25 and transports it to a second endless conveyor 21 which feeds the longitudinal folding means at the location F'. This means is exactly similar in construction to the folding means just described and the corresponding parts thereof are indicated by the same reference numerals as applied in the preceding description but with the suflix a added. It should be pointed out, however, that 1) the second form [2a is inverted with respect to the first form l2, so that it is fed from the top end and delivers at the bottom, (2) the overall width of the second form |2a is only about half that of the first form I2, because it has to deal with sheets D which are already once folded, and (3) the edge Ma of the form 12a is disposed in a vertical plane which is at right-angles to the vertical plane containing the edge I4 of the first form l2. The second form [2a delivers the twice folded sheets D on to a horizontal endless conveyor G which feeds them to a transverse folder which is of known type and therefore not illustrated.

Owing to the inversion of the second form l2a, in relation to the position of the first form 12, a support 28 (Fig. 6) is provided to extend forwards from the edge [3a of the form parallel with and just below the apron portion of the bands 25a and 26a. This support 28, which may be a polished plate, extends beneath the delivery end of the conveyor 27 and serves to guide the folded sheets from the latter to the form l2a.

It will have been appreciated that the first fold former I2 is positioned correctly in relation to a sheet D being delivered from the main conveyor A, so that it will cause the sheet to be folded in half, due to the adjustment of the position of the carriage 4 under the control of an operator.

The second fold former 12a must also receive the folded sheet from the first fold former l2 in the correct position to produce a further central longitudinal fold therein. Suitable means for effecting this comprises a servo-motor mechanism (not shown) for displacing the conveyor E transversely under the control of an operator stationed at such a location that he may observe the folded sheets as they pass over the conveyor E. As before, a fixed gauge bar 29 is provided above the conveyor E and carries a mark 30, indicating the correct centre line position, flanked on each side by corresponding sets of coloured graduations or the like 3|. The operator may thus readily centralise the folded sheets as they pass to the conveyor 27.

The main conveyor A may, of course, be of the wide endless band type instead of the paralleltapes type shown.

What I claim is:

1. Means for folding fiat articles comprising a symmetrical tetrahedral former having a face of largest superficial area twice as large as either of two equal sized contiguous faces which meet at an apex of the said largest face opposite to a base edge thereof, a pair of endless bands each of a width approximately one-half that of said base edge, each of said bands being supported for continuous movement in unison in a closed loop path, means for directing said bands in side by side relation in a first plane across said base edge of said former and then changing the plane of said bands so that said bands are brought in face to face relation at the apex by causing them to traverse the faces of said former thus twisting said bands spaced guide means paralleling said apex for leading each of said bands laterally away from said apex in opposite directions therefrom, thence in generally parallel planes to a level beyond said base edge, and thence reversing the direction of movement of said bands to direct them from said last-mentioned level toward said base edge and at the same time twisting said bands 90 to bring said bands into side by side relation in a plane paralleling said base edge.

2. Means for folding fiat articles comprising a symmetrical tetrahedral former having a face of largest superficial area twice as large as either of two equal sized contiguous faces which meet at an apex of the said largest face opposite to a base edge thereof, a pair of endless bands each of a width approximately one-half that of said base edge, each of said bands being supported for continuous movement in unison in a closed loop path and adapted to feed the articles over the largest face of said former from the base edge thereof so that the parts of the article to be folded at each side of a desired fold line are progressively turned and run over the corresponding contiguous faces and will leave these in face to face contact with each other, means for directing said bands in side by side relation in a first plane across said base edge of said former and then changing the plane of said bands so that said bands are brought in face to face relation at the apex by causing them to traverse "the faces of said former thus twisting said bands 90, spaced guide means paralleling said apex for leading each of said bands laterally away from said apex in opposite directions therefrom, then in generally parallel planes to a level beyond said base edge, and thence reversing the direction of movement of said bands to direct them from said last-mentioned level toward said base edge and at the same time twisting said bands 90 to bring said hands into side by side relation in a plane paralleling said base edge, whereby the face of each band which is nearer to the former during one traverse of the band over the former becomes the face of the band which is farther from the former during the subsequent traverse of the band over the former.

SAMUEL WILLIAM LISTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

